1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a location-based service. More particularly, the present invention relates to a location-based service method and a mobile terminal for providing information services through a wireless connection to a cyber space of a service provider based on location information.
2. Description of the Related Art
With ongoing research and development, a mobile terminal is becoming a multifunctional device supporting various supplementary functions such as a digital camera, an alarm, a Short Messaging Service (SMS), a Multimedia Message Service (MMS), E-mail, Bluetooth communication, etc. along with the mobile terminal's basic communication function. In addition, the convergence of supplementary functions is increasing.
Recently, a Global Positioning System (GPS) is frequently used for providing users with practical services. A Location-Based Service (LBS) is a well-known technology for providing users with services based on their geographical locations.
Conventionally, the location based services are characterized in that the location information acquired by a mobile terminal is provided to a specific application installed in one of the mobile terminal and a remote server connected through one of a WEB and a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) for producing useful information.
For instance, when the mobile terminal is equipped with a GPS receiver and a camera module, the mobile terminal can store a photograph taken by the camera module with the time and location where the photograph was taken, based on the mobile terminal's time and location information determined by the GPS receiver. Another example is a subway map application, which compares the location information acquired by the mobile terminal in real time with a predefined subway map data to identify the current location.
However, most of the conventional location-based services are limited in their ability to provide detailed and accurate information to satisfy the users' requirements. That is, the conventional location-based services provide the users with location information processed from the coordinates acquired by the mobile terminal. Accordingly, there has been a need to develop a system and method for providing the users with improved location-based services that can meet users' various requirements.